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| Base camp Guanajuato |
From Canada de la Vlrgen the toured GTO site. I headed west towards Guanajuato on MEX110 the road climbs in elevation but mostly skirts through small villages at the base of the rocky highlands. Approaching the turn off to Guanajuato zona central & zona historical, I started to climb and enter tunnel after tunnel as the road bore through the rocky highlands mountain side. Guanajuato was one of the richest silver and gold mining sites dating back to the mid-1500's it is listed as a Unesco World Heritage City.
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| Camping in ruins Guanajuato |
Sitting at a elevation of 2017m and a population of 70+k this city is host to many international festivals, film, theater and orchestral, 20k students pack the city's own University of Guanajuato. As I drove around the city its was a spaghetti maze of one way streets climbing the hillsides and when I was not in the open I was driving below in the miles of tunnels under the city carved from its rocky mountain foundation. Eyeing the endless of opulent colonial buildings, wrenching my neck and getting honked at as I rubbernecked in all directions.
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| Morning View from my RTT balcony seating, Guanajuato |
Keeping a firm grip on the wheel, unfortunately I wasn't able to jump out to take pics the traffic and narrow one way cobblestone streets had my full attention negotiating the city's flow.
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| Steep grade to Morrill Trailer Park Camp Guanajuato |
With steep grades and tight hairpins I was almost tempted to put it in
4wd. The carved tunnels are quite amazing complete with intersections. They seemed to go on for ever especially when you don't know where you are going to end up. Scary as I lost my GPS signal a couple of times down there not knowing when to turn or to go straight!! Wanting to park and walk around I was voted down by my barking dawgs. Sporting many tender blisters on my feet from wearing flip flops to donning shoes, while I was hiking through the ruins and exploring the last two city stops. I resigned to make a couple of passes through the city before I started scouting a location for a campsite.
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| Where the symphony lives and plays, Guanajuato |
Once again I consulted my
iOverlander app, I came up with
Morrill Trailer Park Camp. Located on the hillside above I plugged in the coordinates and tried to follow my GPS. The problem was is that it was taking me the very long way around, so I had to try and out smart it. I got to a different location and then reload the coordinates, finally it spit out a much shorter route and I began to climb and climb.
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| Avocado cheese toast Mexico style |
Narrow switchbacks with steep entry angles on one way roads I felt as though I was wheeling in
Moab. Making it to the top I found the gate and called out for the owner, Carlos. As he greeted me Victoria beer in hand I was directed to a sweet spot resting on a cobblestone slab of old tangled ruins. Epic!! Electricity, shower, banos, running water and a stunning neighborhood view complete with a symphony of the infamous, Ravine of the Barking Dogs of
Guanajuato, which preformed nightly I might add!
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| Templo de La Valeciana |
This was home for about 3 nights enough time to mend my blistered aching feet and relax in a cool sunny mountain climate catch up on some reading and work on the
WeOverlander blog. Also getting to know the many different movements as the barking symphony (minimum 500 piece orchestra) barked out each night and day. Life's good!!
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| Lavish interior Templo de La Valenciana |
Pulling up stakes I needed to get provisions, fuel, ice and beer. On my way out of town I stopped at
Templo de La Valenciana a crazy ornate church on top of the mountain heading north on
MEX110 to
San Luis Potosi by way of
Doloras Hildago.
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| On the road to San Luis Potosi |
Hope to see you on the Trail!!....
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